Kleist, Soyinka, Novalis, Zweig

Since my last post, I've read an issue of The Globe and an issue of The New Scientist.

I read Soyinka's childhood memoir, Ake/The Years o Childhood. I liked it, but I am starting to see a pattern in the memoirs of early life by writers from developing countries -- the sincere joys and simple pleasures, etc. Ake avoids all the cliches, but there is something of a trope here.

I read Kleist's short stories Betrothal on Santo Domingo, Michael Kohlhaas, Beggarwoman of Locarno, Saint Cecilia and The Duel, as well as his three essays on speaking, reflection and puppet theatre. Then I read Novalis' notes on Fichte and various philosophical topics. I found this very hard to read, as it is not systematic. I don't usually read any unpublished material, as I want to capture an author's finished thoughts, so this was hard, although easier than, say, course notes from Heidegger. Finally I read essays on Casanova, Tolstoy, Stendhal, Mary Baker Eddy, Messmer and Freud by Stefan Zweig. I enjoyed the essays on the writers the most, since he was looking at how they made poetry out of their lives.